Mutilated Royal Bengal Tiger Carcass Discovered in Assam
Discovery of the Tiger Carcass
The carcass with its tail and all four legs severed was found near Kochgaon under Thelamara police station area.
Tezpur, June 12: Forest officials reported the recovery of a mutilated Royal Bengal Tiger carcass, believed to be the result of poaching, from a sandbar along the Gabharu River in Assam's Sonitpur district on Thursday.
The carcass, which had its tail and all four legs removed, was located near Kochgaon in the jurisdiction of Thelamara police station, according to Divisional Forest Officer Biswa Jyoti Das.
It appears that the tiger's body was disposed of in the river, leading to suspicions that poachers killed the animal, extracted valuable parts, and attempted to eliminate evidence.
Das noted, "The carcass seems to have drifted downstream for several days post-mortem, but the nature of the mutilation raises concerns about foul play."
Upon receiving reports of the carcass, forest personnel from the West Sonitpur Forest Division and Tezpur Forest Range, along with police officials, quickly arrived at the scene.
A team from the Wildlife Division, accompanied by veterinary specialists, performed a post-mortem and collected samples for forensic analysis to ascertain the cause of death.
Officials indicated that the tiger was approximately five feet long.
After the examination, the carcass was cremated later that evening on the banks of the Gabharu River, following wildlife disposal protocols, as stated by the official.
The forest department has launched an investigation and is currently awaiting the forensic report, Das added.
Previously, on May 30, a sub-adult tiger carcass was found in the Mihimukh area of Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).
This four-day-old carcass was discovered during routine surveillance by forest personnel in the Mihimukh area under the Kaziranga Range at Kohora.